Blue Jackets beats Sharks 3-2 in overtime

Mason made 33 saves, and Ethan Moreau scored in overtime to give
the Blue Jackets a 3-2 victory over the Sharks on Saturday and a
split of the two-game, season-opening series with the Sharks in
Sweden.

"I think it's safe to say that he's probably got his game back
to where it was two years ago," Columbus coach Scott Arniel said
of Mason. "Last night he got off to a slow start but he was
outstanding from that second period on, and tonight all three
periods."

Joe Thornton's power-play goal tied it at 2 in the third period,
after Swedish-born Kristian Huselius thrilled the crowd when he
scored his second of the season on a power play to put the Blue
Jackets ahead at the start of the frame.

"It was nice to bounce back and get the win here," Huselius
said.

San Jose took the lead with a power-play goal from Devin
Setoguchi 2:02 into the game. Rick Nash tied it just over a
minute later when his wrist shot beat goalie Antero Niittymaki.

Niittymaki got the start instead of Antti Niemi and made 22
saves. Niemi earned the win in the Sharks' 3-2 victory Friday in
the opener.

There were a lot more empty seats at the 13,500-seat Globen
Arena compared to Friday.

"I guess it was more fans here the first game but it felt like
it was more noise, and they were more into the game tonight,"
Huselius said. "We had some good times here."

As in the first game, the frantic start was followed by a tight
second period that was scoreless.

Arniel earned his first victory as an NHL head coach.

"I didn't want this to drag on," Arniel said. "The longer it
goes on you start to worry and wonder when it's going to come
but certainly in that dramatic fashion tonight, we had a pretty
happy bench and a pretty big group hug behind the bench after
Ethan scored."

San Jose hit the post twice in the second period with the score
at 2-2.

"I didn't think we were very competitive early in the game," San
Jose coach Todd McLellan said. "It's been a long trip."

McLellan added that he has a better idea of what the team needs
to do to improve.

"At least we have a measuring tool, we know where we're at, we
have some points in the bank that people can't take away from us
and we start building on our season," McLellan said.

Upon returning to North America, Columbus will host defending
Stanley Cup champion Chicago on Friday. San Jose will face
Atlanta on Saturday.